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War and Christian Militarism
Book Review Written by John Larabell
Are you a “Christian warmonger,” a “Red-state Fascist,” a “Reich-Wing nationalist,” an “Imperial
Christian,” a “Christian killer,” a “pro-life murderer,” a “double-minded warmonger,” a
“God-and-country Christian bumpkin,” or a “warvangelical Christian”? According to Laurence M.
Vance, Ph.D., you may be if you support current U.S. foreign policy and the current actions of the
U.S. military. Do you get your news from the “Fox War Channel” and the “War Street
Journal”? If so, you need to read Vance’s books War, Christianity, and the State: Essays on the Follies of Christian
Militarism and War, Empire, and the Military: Essays on the Follies of War and U.S. Foreign
Policy.
War, Christianity, and the State is a collection of 76 of Vance’s essays written
between 2003 and 2013, all of which appeared on LewRockwell.com. Vance accurately summarizes the
contents of the chapters:
In chapter 1, “Christianity and War,” Christian enthusiasm for war
and the military is shown to be an affront to the Saviour, contrary to Scripture, and a
demonstration of the profound ignorance many Christians have of history. In chapter 2,
“Christianity and the Military,” the idea that Christians should have anything to do with the
military is asserted to be illogical, immoral, and unscriptural. In chapter 3, “Christianity and
the Warfare State,” I argue that Christians who condone the warfare state, its senseless wars, its
war on a tactic (terrorism), its nebulous crusades against “evil,” its aggressive militarism, its
interventions into the affairs of other countries, and its expanding empire have been duped. In
chapter 4, “Christianity and Torture,” I contend that it is reprehensible for Christians to support
torture for any reason.
Vance writes as a conservative, evangelical, fundamentalist Christian, holding degrees in
history, theology, accounting, and economics. His main message in War, Christianity, and the
State is that
If there is any group of people that should be opposed to war,
torture, militarism, and the warfare state with its suppression of civil liberties, imperial
presidency, government propaganda, and interventionist foreign policy it is Christians, and
especially conservative, evangelical, and fundamentalist Christians who claim to strictly follow
the dictates of Scripture and worship the Prince of Peace.
Vance sharply rebukes supporters of the warfare state, particularly Christians, and illustrates
the follies and horrors of war. He points out the hypocrisy of Christians who support U.S.
militarism, the warfare state, the neoconservative-dominated Republican Party, and those who
believe almost everything coming from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, and
Glenn Beck. Many such Christians claim to worship the Prince of Peace yet wholeheartedly endorse
acts of violence against other people in the form of war. He dubs such Christians “Christian
killers” to illustrate this contradiction.
While some Christians may in fact be opposed to the numerous wars of aggression entered into by
the United States, they almost to a person still “support the troops,” because the troops are “just
following orders” and are thus justified in their killing of those who have not actually attacked
the U.S. homeland. While Vance admits that killing in genuine defense of one’s life or family is
justified, he also argues that killing other human beings, Christian or not, merely because the
government labels them as “the enemy” is not justifiable and is therefore murder. In light of this,
Vance believes that Christians should not serve in today’s military, and if they are already in the
military, they should refuse to kill people in wars of aggression, no matter the consequences.
Vance elaborates:
Most people say the troops are not responsible because they’re just
following orders.... Many evangelical Christians agree, and join in this chorus of statolatry with
their “obey the powers that be” mantra....
First of all, the last time I looked in my Bible, I got the strong
impression that it was only God who should be obeyed 100 percent of the time without question....
If the U.S. government told someone to kill his mother, any American would be outraged if he under
any circumstances went and did it. But if the government tells someone to put on a uniform and go
kill some Iraqi’s mother, the typical American puts a yellow ribbon on his car and says we should
support the troops.... Being told to clean or paint a piece of equipment is one thing; being told
to bomb or shoot a person is another.
War, Empire, and the Military is a collection of 127 of Vance’s essays written
between 2004 and 2014, with the bulk of them appearing on LewRockwell.com. Vance notes of the seven
chapters:
In chapter 1, “War and Peace,” the evils of war and warmongers and
the benefits of peace are examined. In chapter 2, “The Military,” the evils of standing armies and
militarism are discussed, including a critical look at U.S. military. In chapter 3, “The War in
Iraq,” the wickedness of the Iraq War is exposed. In chapter 4, “World War II,” the “good war” is
shown to be not so good after all. In chapter 5, “Other Wars,” the evils of war and the warfare
state are chronicled in specific wars: the Crimean War (1854-1856), the Russo-Japanese War
(1904-1905), World War I (1914-1918), the Persian Gulf War (1990-1991), and the war in Afghanistan
(2001-). In chapter 6, “The U.S. Global Empire,” the beginnings, growth, extent, nature, and
consequences of the U.S. empire of bases and troops are revealed and critiqued. In chapter 7, “U.S.
Foreign Policy,” the belligerence, recklessness, and follies of U.S. foreign policy are laid
bare.
According to Vance, the underlying theme in this collection of essays is
opposition to the warfare state that robs us of our liberty, our
money, and in some cases our life. Conservatives who decry the welfare state while supporting the
warfare state are terribly inconsistent. The two are inseparable. Libertarians who are opposed to
war on principle, but support the state’s bogus “war on terrorism,” even as they remain silent
about the U.S. global empire, are likewise contradictory.
War, Empire, and the Military is a great study of history and a must-read for
anyone who supports current U.S. foreign policy. Vance begins the book by explaining the views of
classical Western thinkers and the views of the Founding Fathers regarding war, empire, and the
military, telling how (and why) the early Americans were very much opposed to the modern warfare
state with its foreign entanglements, foreign wars, and massive military budget. After all, the
U.S. military, Vance says throughout both books, is now used for everything but its original
purpose: the defense of the United States and the securing of her national borders.
In addition to giving detailed accounts of why many of the wars of the past two centuries were
actually fought (often not the reasons given in American public-school history classes), Vance
includes a number of essays depicting the horrors of war from the perspective of soldiers on the
battlefield. After reading many of these accounts, only the most calloused individuals would still
be eager to see America involved in another war.
War, Christianity, and the State is no doubt the more controversial of the two
books. Many conservative Christians will vehemently disagree with Vance’s views on the current
evils of the U.S. military and war in general. In fact, Vance mentions the criticism he receives
from many Christians (most of whom are not in the military) for his opposition to U.S. foreign
policy and the warfare state. He admits that he has been called “liberal,” “communist,” “anti-war
weenie,” “traitor,” “coward,” “America-hater,” and other vulgarities that will not be printed here.
But Vance argues his points well, and provides a great deal of historical background on Christian
opposition to war and the views of the Founding Fathers on war and standing armies to make his
case. Additionally, Vance includes a number of essays featuring letters he has received from
military personnel who agree with him. An open-minded reader who is a genuine Christian would find
it difficult to disagree with Vance’s primary theses in both books.
A few small criticisms are in order. There is a great deal of overlap among the various essays,
which is to be expected, and which Vance admits to in the beginning of both books. Additionally,
there are a number of minor spelling and grammar errors, and, as the essays were primarily online
postings, there are many spots that were obvious hyperlinks that do not show up in the books, which
can be a bit awkward for the reader. This, also, Vance admits to.
But as mentioned above, both books — War, Christianity, and the State and War, Empire, and the Military — are must-reads for conservative
Christians, many of whom have supported the military and the American warfare state. Although
Vance has a literary wit and offers sharp criticism of those he disagrees with in order to
provoke a thoughtful response, open-minded readers will no doubt come to agree with many of his
views.
ONLINE VERSION HERE:
War, Empire, and the Military: Essays
on the Follies of War and U.S. Foreign Policy
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